Standing in the Rain
by monkeygirl77
Summary: He's walked down this ally probably a thousand times and has grown used to seeing an assortment of peoples; hobos, hookers, druggies. But never did he ever expect to see this particular face in this particular ally. The face he'd recognize anywhere. The face of the brother who killed him.


What began as some high winds and a smattering of rain has built into the worst storm in a generation. The wind doesn't howl, it screams. The rain doesn't fall it is driven, hard, merciless, torrential. The trees do not sway, they creak, bend and moan as their fine limbs are ripped away and their autumnal leaves become not confettim but ammuntion in the gale.

Around him, the humans hunker down nicely, warm and cozy in their homes, ready to ride out the storm in shelter and comfort. Safe and protected behind walls of plaster and wood and other man made creations.

But he, him?, Lucifer was huddled in the rain, weakened and injured greatly, pressed up against the slick brick wall of a Deli. He didn't move but for the shivers that wracked his body. His hair stuck to his face like a sort of blonde plaster and his eyes were pressed closed as tight as they could manage.

Arms wrapped snug around him he was as 'safe and warm' as he could manage in this sort of inclement weather condition.

He didn't make any moves as if to find a way out of this weather, though his movements did contain more trembling then it probably should have, and the rain did a great job in hiding the little salty tears that slipped from his clenched eyes.

Foot steps, foot steps fall in between the sounds of beating rain, and he huddles closer to his wall as they approach hoping that he'll simply blend in.

That he won't be seen.

Gabriel has expected to find many things in these sort of allys, strays, homeless people, hookers, not much surprised him when it came to his short cuts through these places to get back to his small but cozy apartment.

His nice warm bed with the heated blankets and the nice warm heater in the corner under the window.

So when he came across the huddled lump of a semi-bleeding figure, he almost didn't stop, and he wouldn't have if his eyes hadn't caught _that._

Although it had faded greatly, there was no denying that Mark when one saw it, and Gabriel came to a grinding halt at just who his mind pieced together was this shivering huddled figure.

And his eyes almost couldn't believe it.

 _"Lucifer?"_

Blue eyes snap open at the oh so painstakingly familiar voice, panic setting in that he might be having another hallucination, and he scoots up closer to his anchoring brick wall. The little cuts it grinds into his face is only that much more reassuring that he is awake and not having a repeat nightmare of heart wrenching proportions.

"You're not real," He whispers brokenly, "You're just a trick of the mind. You're not real."

Lucifer knows that the 'Gabriel'-decked out in a warm jacket and drying poncho, gloves and an umbrella-is not his brother. He'd killed him, his greatest mistake, one of many that he's made. Gabriel quirks an eyebrow at his brother, clearly caught off guard and any and all biting words dying at just how _broken_ his brother sounded.

He just stands there, for a long eternity, watching from behind puffs of condenced air as his brother shivers and trembles as he sits there soaking against his wall.

It's just all sorts of wrong, Lucifer is the coldest being in creation, he should _not_ be shivering.

"Luci? Big Brother?"

The Messenger kneels down infront of his brother, reaching a gloved hand out to touch to his ice cold cheek, he can feel the coolness seaping throw the thick material.

Lucifer moves slightly, his head lifting only just, and his eyes finally meet the burning gold of his younger brothers.

"Why are you shivering?"

"It's cold."

Lucifer figures he'll play along, this Gabriel wants to take advantage of him, his mind wants to make a fool of him again. He'll play along. He's tired of not doing anything. It's better than nothing.

"I know it's cold. You _are_ cold. So why are you shivering?"

Gabriel was more asking himself at this point, not his clearly semi-hallucinating brother, and his brow furrowed as he also pondered the great reason as to why he _cared_. This was Lucifer, the asshat that had run him through and with his own blade no less. As if that couldn't be any worse.

This dickwad did stab him, he should just leave him here, keep moving and not look back.

But, Lucifer was leaning into his gloved _warm_ hand soaking up that heat as much as he could until it was taken from him, and Gabriel scratched his cheek for a fraction of a moment. Damn him and his big loving heart and his undying devotion to his brothers.

"Come on Luci, you can come home with me."

"Home?", the other whispered again as if it was a place he dreamed of being again but knew he could never quite get there, a home that Gabriel hadn't called _home_ in almost just as much time as Lucifer hadn't, and he didn't have the heart to completely shoot him down, "We going home Gabe? I wanna go home..I miss home...Home with you and Rapha and Micha... _home_..."

He sucks in a slight breath, but grabs for him all the same, "Yes Luci, _home,_ come on you have to get up to get home."

Gabriel takes hold of him as the older archangel stumbles and struggles to push himself up to stand, his every desire to get back to a home that Gabriel can't grant him but believes he will, and leans into his side as Gabriel pulls him close when he sways dangerously.

They walk, slowly and unsteady, for a few paces before falling in step and managing. Gabriel can feel the wetness soaking through his jacket sleeve and tries to remember if he has clothes that might fit his older brother. Lucifer stands at least three heads taller, and while he may not have a whole outfit for the guy, he's sure he at least has a pair of boxers that might fit the guy.

Mars Bar was waiting for him at the door when he managed to finally get them home. He yapped and barked happily at the sight of his owner, but went silent when he finally noticed the other hanging over his owners shoulder, sniffing curiously at the stranger.

"Move little guy, he's not as light as he thinks he is."

The little corgi yaps at him and moves like ordered, watching as Gabriel stumbles up the stairs to the master bedroom, and quickly following after.

Gabriel leans over as he moves to lay his brother on his bed, falling onto his hip slightly when Lucifer more the literally falls into the mattress, more unconsious then not at the moment.

And then he moves to undress him and that wakes the Morning Star.

"Wha-?"

"Hush Luci, you're shivering like you're turning into an icicle, and I need to get you out of these wet clothes until we can figure out how to restabilize your core again."

Honestly, Lucifer's in no shape to fight anything at the moment, and Gabriel quickly finds himself undressing his brother, pulling off his shoes and socks, pants, shirt, and his skin sticks out pale against the dark blankets that pile on his bed.

Gabriel sighs, kicking his own shoes off, and sheds his drenched poncho and jacket over the chair before his desk before he turns to climb up next to his brother.

"This is gonna be unspeakable amounts of awkward, but you're freezing, more then usual, and we need to warm you up."

What he doesn't expect to happen is his brother latch onto him like some sort of child, face pressed into his stomach, and curl into him like he's some sort of personal heater. Gabriel is shocked still for a moment before he reaches for his blankets pulling them up over the two of them.

Mars Bar jumps up at the end and curls up snuggly.

His older brother is still pretty bad when he wakes up the next morning, getting better, but its turning out to be a rather slow process. And it's not like Gabriel really cares all too much, he truly doesn't, but as it's becoming rather clear his older brother has an affinity to cuddle when he doesn't fell all that well, which is another thing that Gabriel doesn't care all that much about seeing as it's been so long since he's been wrapped in these arms like this but his leg is starting to cramp like it's nobodies business.

The little corgi at the end of the bed shoots him this look of utter annoyance as he himself is still trying to sleep where he's curled up between Lucifer's legs and Gabriel's moving might wake his living mattress up.

He just won't have that.

Still, Gabriel manages to wiggle his way free from his brother's grip, Lucifer instead curling around a well placed pillow instead, and he's free to stretch his legs and walk around the room. Now that he's here Gabriel's not all too sure what to do with him.

Leave?

Kick him out?

Forgive him and let it go?

There's so many choices he could make at a moment like this and he's not exactly sure which choices he should be making.

But he does know that he can't very well leave his brother out there on his own in the state that he's in. It would be like leaving a wounded animal for dead.

Gabriel got himself something to eat, and made himself a milshake, and had been enjoying a new edition playboy when the scream breached into his ears. Loud and shrill and panicked and so high pitched that he knew it wasn't possible for it to be human.

The chair he'd been sitting in toppled over as he jumped from it to run up the stairs. His heart racing and grace burning, Gabriel burst into his bedroom preparing for the worst, only to come to a stop at what really waited for him.

Lucifer was wrapped in the blankets, curled into a ball, trembling at the force of his night terror. Mars Bar was on the floor looking very much like he wanted to help but didn't exactly know how in a situation like this and when he finally registered that it was Gabriel that had entered the room behind him turned an expectant look back at him as if to order him to fix it.

Sighing again he crossed the floor and placed a calming hand on his older brothers shoulder.

"Luci?"

Never before has he quite literally felt someone tense under his touch as if awaiting him to attack them. Lucifer expected the pain, he was prepared for it, he _accepted_ it. And that was what mystified Gabriel the most.

Golden eyes go wide at the realization.

"Luci...I'm not going to hurt you big brother, you're safe here."

Trying to go for the softest tone he can muster, Gabriel hopes it gets through to him where ever he might be, it seems to work though much to his relief. Lucifer slowly but surely relaxes under his touch again, sighing deeply, and goes completely limp once more. Mars Bar yaps once and hops back up, spins three times, and curls back up between his resting legs.

Gabriel doesnt trust his brother to leave him this time, even in this state he's still much too powerful.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Lucifer never actually answers him, but when he settles in next to him again, and he feels those arms wind around his waist and pull him in as close as he can he knows that his brother is saying yes.

He would very much like for him to stay.

"Ok you big lug, I'll stay, but I'm watching the tube."

His brother never actually answers him when he states this, just nuzzles his head into his side even more, breathing even and peaceful again.

And Gabriel most certainly does not grin to himself at the feeling as he snaps himself another shake and turns on the tube.

He doesn't.

Seriously.

(he does.)


End file.
